When a liquid containing a dissolved gas, such as beer is poured into a conventional drinking container, a foam or head is formed on the surface of the liquid by the sudden liberation of much of the dissolved gas. The size, texture, liveliness and longevity of such a head are often considered to be indicative of the quality of the liquid's taste; as is, the number and size of the bubbles themselves. Indeed, some people are so convinced of this relation between the characteristics of the head and the quality of beer's taste that they induce the formation of a head by dropping granules of salt into the liquid.
The foregoing is not mere superstition or wive's tale. I have found that there is a relationship between bubble size and number, and taste and that this relationship is direct, the greater the number of bubbles and the smaller their size, the mellower taste the beer as well as other carbonated beverages, including champagne, colas, uncolas, natural carbonated water, etc.
Naturally the inherent result of greater number of bubbles and smaller size is a bigger head on beer and greater effervesence of the other carbonated beverages.
Although it is not known with certainty why the mellower taste occurs, it is believed that the greater the number of bubbles of smaller size create a greater area surface interface within the liquid (volume to area ratios) and this greater area surface ratio produces the mellower taste of such beverages.